DVR ratings: Great news for ‘Last Resort,’ ‘Elementary,’ and ‘Revolution’
When you look at Live+7 ratings, there is always one thing that you have to keep in mind here: these numbers are really in no way a guarantee that a show is going to benefit at all from them. After all, a million DVR viewers is never a replacement for the same amount of people watching live with commercials, but to a certain extent, these figures can be used to help figure out whether or not to keep around some shows that are sitting firmly on the bubble.
Our personal viewpoint on this subject is that so long as you are not bombing during live viewing, a live+7 gain of 45% or more in the 18-49 demographic is something that could actually keep a show around versus it being canceled. Any lower than that, and it’s probably not likely to help.) We’re not going to focus on all of the greatest gainers here; just the ones who really have something to gain from the viewership bump. All numbers are via TVbythenumbers, and are ranked here by the percentage gained.
“Supernatural” and “Revolution” – Both of these showed gained a huge 75% from their initial figures, and are tied for #1 this week beginning on October 1. If “Revolution” continues to draw more than a 5.0 with DVR figures included, it is a lock for a season 2. As for “Supernatural,” the only way it does not return is if the actors want to move on.
“666 Park Avenue” – In going up from a 1.7 to a 2.6 (a nice 53% gain), this suspenseful drama has more of a chance. However, these sort of gains did not help “Pan Am” last year, and we still don’t have high hopes here.
“Last Resort” – Both this show and “666 Park Avenue” have been given extra scripts, and the DVR numbers are probably a big reason why. Gaining 53% after the fact is nothing to sneeze at, and we think this show with a final 2.9 rating has at least an okay shot thanks to being a quality program.
“Elementary” – Part of us feels that the ratings for this show are a disappointment given the hype surrounding Sherlock Holmes, but a 48% gain to a 3.7 does not look nearly as rough for CBS. Thanks in part to a poor performance by CBS all around, we still think this show is likely to be renewed.
“The New Normal” – Its 47% gain to a 2.6 rating is good by NBC comedy standards, but the real reason we think that this show will be renewed for season 2 is that unlike its timeslot companion in “Go On,” it is actually getting better as time progresses.